Free Will Astrology

June 23, 2004

ARIES (March 21-April 19): "Let that which stood in front go behind!" roared Walt Whitman in his poem "Respondez!" "And let that which was behind advance to the front and speak." That’s the first clue you should meditate on in the coming week, Aries. Your second hint is from Bob Dylan, who could have been talking to you when he wrote these words for his song, "The Times They Are A-Changin’": "The slow one now/ will later be fast/ And the first one now/ will later be last."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Are you the type of person who is capable of altering your trajectory in midair? Let’s say, hypothetically speaking, that you worked in the circus as a human cannonball. Let’s say you had just been shot out of a cannon but sensed you were headed toward a spot on the ground a few feet beyond the safety net. Could you wiggle or shimmy in such a way that you accomplished a mid-course correction, ensuring that you landed where you wanted to? In my astrological opinion, Taurus, you could.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Astrologers and economic forecasters are about equally accurate in their predictions. The difference is that some astrologers can provide useful financial advice, whereas most economists can’t distinguish a Mercury-Saturn conjunction from a transit by retrograde Venus. Given that you’re in a phase when you’ll thrive on financial advice from a metaphysical perspective, I suggest you seek input only from the first type, the business-savvy stargazers. And since I’m one of them, I’m happy to offer you this tip: Having a sensitive soul and spiritual yearnings often impedes getting richer quicker, but for now the reverse is true for you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I have a pleasant assignment for you, Cancerian: Decide what form of abundance is most important to you. Is it money? Friendship? The land you own? Is it romantic love or creative inspiration or your children? Of course, you probably value several different kinds of abundance, but your challenge right now is to determine the one that you prize above all others. Whatever you decide it is, it will flourish in the next four weeks.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ve got that look in your eye, Leo — that slightly demented, fervently giddy expression I see in you every now and then. Judging from previous experience, I surmise you’re about to either launch a brave quest to the frontiers of your understanding or else hurl yourself into a sticky abyss where all the demons adore you. You realize there’s a difference, right? One is scary fun and the other is glamorous torment. Please go to your room, take a hundred deep, slow breaths, and meditate about what you should do next to prove how much you love yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Wal-Mart is famous for the stingy pay and benefits it offers its employees. But another giant chain store, Costco, is so good to its workers that some business gurus disapprove. "From the perspective of investors, Costco’s benefits are overly generous," says retail analyst Bill Dreher, quoted in *The Wall Street Journal*. He thinks the company’s benevolence depresses its stock value because investors are afraid its profit margins aren’t as high as they could be. But Costco is very successful, and its five-year growth rate has better than Wal-Mart’s. All this is preface, Virgo, for my warning that *your* gifts may also be criticized in the coming week. But have faith that the best way to build your prosperity is to cultivate your generosity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re about to receive a burst of attention. If you don’t especially care about being seen on TV, quoted in the newspaper or gossiped about by professionals, you should negotiate with fate to bring you a heightened visibility that’s more useful. How about having your good work get more recognition and appreciation from the few people who really matter, for instance? I’m sure you can have a lot of influence on how your higher profile manifests, Libra. All you have to do is get very clear about what you really want.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your magical powers will be at a peak in the coming days. Reading people’s minds will be the least of what you’re capable of. I wouldn’t be shocked if you were able to concoct love potions in your kitchen or control the weather in your vicinity. Given that you’ll be able to accomplish wonders I can’t even imagine, I’m reluctant to make a suggestion. Who am I to give advice to a potential superhero? But I feel it’s my duty to let you know that the very best use of your magical powers will be as follows: to help those in need, to fight for justice and freedom, and to conjure up miraculous sex.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Have you ever seen that bumper sticker that goes, "I am brilliant and talented, but I have to do dumb and self-destructive things to relax"? My research shows that a much higher percentage of Sagittarians exemplify this bad habit than any other sign. Even if you aren’t dominated by it, you probably fall victim to it every once in a while. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you now have the power to break its hold on you. By August 1, with hard work and a little grace, you could very well have earned the right to put the following bumper sticker on your car or refrigerator: "I am so brilliant and talented that I’ve discovered how to relax in uplifting ways that enhance my brilliance and talent."

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sometimes Zen masters with valuable teachings appear in the form of children playing or old folks in fading health or boring geeks you look down on. On occasion, crucial help can’t arrive any other way except through bewildering riddles you barely understand or seemingly trivial distractions that appear to be wasting your time. It’s one of those times right now, Capricorn. To get you in the mood, here’s some foolish wisdom from ex-baseball player, Yogi Berra: "When you come to the fork in the road, take it."

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Dear Reverend (or is it Irreverend?) Brezsny: After long meditation on what’s missing from my relationship with God, I found the answer: a sense of humor. I realized I can never truly love or honestly communicate with a Supreme Being who doesn’t chuckle. Alas, there doesn’t seem to be a single text in any religious tradition that’s even slightly funny. Can you give me some hope? —Aquarius in Search of a Droll Deity." Dear Aquarius: You’re in luck. According to my inside sources, the Divine Creator will soon unleash Her comic genius in your vicinity. You can expect a flood of playful teases and slapstick disruptions in the conventional wisdom — all designed to provoke sacred, cleansing laughter.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his poem "The History of My Life," John Ashbery poignantly refers to the death of his brother as a child. He quickly follows it with self-mocking humor about how fast that sad event forced him to grow up. "Ashbery is always vacillating between the unbearable heaviness and unbearable lightness of being," Fred Moranarco writes in *The American Poetry Review*, "as if moving between the two make both extremes bearable." I expect this will also be your forte in the coming week, Pisces: the ability to flow gracefully between profundity and frivolity.

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Here’s this week’s homework: I am now accepting birthday gifts from my readers. (Please understand, though, that they will not work as bribes.) Send offerings to www.freewillastrology.com or P.O. Box 150628, San Rafael, CA 94915.